Trip Planning - Great Bear Rainforest Tours by Sail

When you book, you will receive a comprehensive trip planning guide and you can contact us any time.

Please feel free to use this general information in planning your trip. However, before making flight or other arrangements, please contact us to ensure availability on the trip you want, and to ensure that specific details, such as boarding time and location, for your trip are confirmed. Changes may occur from year to year.

Note: Pacific Coastal flies from/to the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport. There is a regular shuttle bus from the main terminal and from the seaplane port. Allow about 30 minutes from door to door to be sure to meet the required boarding and check in times.

Going To or From Kitimat

There are two airlines with scheduled daily flights to the airport that services Kitimat. This airport is called the Terrace or Terrace/Kitimat airport. Using a shuttle bus, and a short taxi ride, it will take about an hour from airport to ship.

These are the airlines with scheduled daily flights to the airport that services Kitimat. This airport is called the Terrace or Terrace/Kitimat airport. Using a shuttle bus, and a short taxi ride, it will take about an hour from airport to ship.WestJethttp://www.westjet.com 1-888-937-8538

Information Note About Prince Rupert Airport: Prince Rupert Airport is located on Digby Island. Included in the price of your flight is a trip on the shuttle bus and ferry between downtown Prince Rupert and the airport.

The airport shuttle bus will take you to the Highliner Inn in Prince Rupert. From there, you can take a taxi to your hotel or to the ship. Taxis in Prince Rupert are plentiful and if one is not available when you arrive, just go inside the hotel and telephone for one. It should arrive within minutes. Taxis take cash, and most everything is within a 5 minute ride of everything else in the core of Prince Rupert.

Note: Pacific Coastal flies from/to the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport. There is a regular shuttle bus from the main terminal and from the seaplane port. Allow about 30 minutes from door to door to be sure to meet the required boarding and check in times.

By car down Vancouver Island: Rental cars are available at the Port Hardy airport. It is about a 6.5 hour drive to Victoria (without significant stops), and about 4.5 to Nanaimo. There are, however, many wonderful communities, parks and locations to explore on Vancouver Island if you have more time. Feel free to ask us about this.

Where to Stay

Our trips are timed so that you can take a flight to the ship on the start date of the trip. However, if you would like to arrive early or stay on afterward, here are some places you may wish to stay.

When you book, you will receive a comprehensive trip planning guide and you can contact us any time.

Please feel free to use this general information in planning your trip. However, before making flight or other arrangements, please contact us to ensure availability on the trip you want, and to ensure that specific details, such as boarding time and location, for your trip are confirmed. Changes may occur from year to year.

Note: Pacific Coastal flies from/to the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport. There is a regular shuttle bus from the main terminal and from the seaplane port. Allow about 30 minutes from door to door to be sure to meet the required boarding and check in times.

Note: Pacific Coastal flies from the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport. There is a regular shuttle bus from the main terminal and from the seaplane port. Allow about 30 minutes from door to door to be sure to meet the required boarding and check in times.

Taxi
Since there is just one flight a day to Bella Bella, Maple Leaf Adventures will arrange for a taxi to meet you at the airport and bring you to the ship and vice-versa on return. Your taxi fare will be about $12 cash.

Note: Pacific Coastal flies from/to the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport. There is a regular shuttle bus from the main terminal and from the seaplane port. Allow about 30 minutes from door to door to be sure to meet the required boarding and check in times.

If you will be on Vancouver Island before the trip, you have an option of driving to Port Hardy and parking there, and boarding the Pacific Coastal flight in Port Hardy to Bella Bella. The ship will return you to Port McNeill, which is about a 25-minute taxi ride from Port Hardy. You can then reunite with your car and drive back down Vancouver Island.

Returning from Port McNeill

By air via Vancouver:
The airport that services Port McNeill is called the Port Hardy airport. It's a 25-minute taxi ride from Port McNeill.
Pacific Coastal Airlines 1-800-663-2872 www.pacificcoastal.com

By car:
You can drive from Port McNeill to Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo or other communities on Vancouver Island.

To drive to Vancouver, drive about 4.5 hours south to Nanaimo and board a BC Ferries ferry.

To drive to Victoria, you'll drive south for about 6.5 hours.

To drive to Nanaimo, you'll drive south for about 4.5 hours.

There is parking at the municipal wharf. At the time of this writing, it is $3 per day and you can park for long periods of time. The Port McNeill wharfinger's office can provide other information.

You may also wish to enjoy an hour or two in "downtown Port McNeill" which has several shops and cafes, including a great art gallery/shop called Just Art.

Note: Pacific Coastal flies from/to the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport. There is a regular shuttle bus from the main terminal and from the seaplane port. Allow about 30 minutes from door to door to be sure to meet the required boarding and check in times.

If you will be on Vancouver Island before the trip, you have an option of driving to Port Hardy and parking there, and boarding the Pacific Coastal flight in Port Hardy to Bella Bella. The ship will return you to Port McNeill, which is about a 25-minute taxi ride from Port Hardy. You can then reunite with your car and drive back down Vancouver Island.

Returning from Kitimat

These are the airlines with scheduled daily flights to the airport that services Kitimat. This airport is called the Terrace or Terrace/Kitimat airport. Using a shuttle bus, and a short taxi ride, it will take about an hour from airport to ship.

Travel Agent
We are happy to provide the contact of a travel agent who has worked with Maple Leaf Adventures guests many times before.

Contact us at 1.888.599.5323 or +1.250.386.7245 for information

Trip / Medical Insurance

Due to the remoteness of the areas we travel in we highly recommend travel/medical trip insurance that covers possible emergency medical evacuation.

We highly recommend trip cancellation insurance. This protects you in case you have to cancel for a variety of reasons (including illness). This must be purchased at the time your booking is confirmed.

Travel Documentation

If you are entering Canada from another country, you must have a valid passport.

If the US or Canada require that citizens from your country have other documentation such as a visa in order to enter either country, you are responsible for having it with you. To find out what you need, ask your nearest consulate.